


Don't Drag Bleeding Strangers to YourHouse

by pinkevilbob



Category: Trollhunters (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, F/M, Slow Burn, no beta we die like men, the slowest of burns
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-03-15 18:46:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13619430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkevilbob/pseuds/pinkevilbob
Summary: Look, do you want to read a fic where Barbara finds an injured troll form Strickler on the side of the road and takes him home? Then read this fic.





	1. Chapter 1

Two AM was a time that should not exist. It was definitely not a time to be finally coming home from work at. A fact Barbara knew well as she stifled another yawn. Why was the road home so long?

Barbara was starting to regret her choice of not grabbing a coffee on the way out, when she noticed something out by the side of the road just barely moving. She pulled over to the side of the road. It was probably just a deer that got hit by a car, but she wanted to check on it even if it was just to see if she needed to hit it again to put it out of its misery. 

Grabbing her pepper spray and a flashlight from the glove box, Barbara got of her car. Cautiously, Barbara got closer only to see that it was just a man. A green man with horns, fangs, and just wearing a loin cloth and cape. Barbara groaned, "Amateur filmmakers." They'd see some in the hospital from time to time usually after they had attempted some stupid stunt. At least this one's make up was half way decent. She almost thought he was some kind of monster at first. 

He flinched back as she knelt down next to him. At least he was conscious. "It's okay, I'm a doctor. I'll take you to the hospital."

"Don't!" he snarled out. His voice was was all snarls and growls like nothing she had heard before. He winced in pain as he tried to get away from her. "I'm fine."

Barbara rolled her eyes. "Of course you are,"she said. "And that's why your leg is in such an unnatural position." It only took a quick glance to tell that he was a mess. Dark blood leaked down his forehead and the way he cradled his ribs suggested that there was at least bruising on them. 

"I can't go the hospital," he said keeping up his inhuman growl.

Barbara gentle touched his leg earning a hiss. "Relax just checking if it's broken." It felt like stone, pleasantly warm stone. This must have been the best prosthetic work she'd ever seen. "I don't care how secret your project is or how much you 'need' to stay in character, you need to go to the hospital." It felt like a clean break, but an x-ray would be needed same for the ribs. She almost got chills from how inhuman the make up made him. "And if it's about money, we got payment programs that can help you."

He pulled back as Barbara examined his head. The wound was busted open rather then cut, so he had probably had a concussion to worry about too. Under the flashlight's brightness, the blood was too dark to be red, but it was definitely his. And his fangs looked so real. "This is isn't a costume is it?" she asked.

"Unfortunately not."

That changed everything and Barbara was already regretting every decision she was going to make during the next 24 hours. "What do you eat?"

"What?" he growled.

"What does your kind eat? Cats?"

"Some of my kind do, but I don't."

"And what about humans?" she asked. "Do you eat humans?"

He shook his head obviously confused by her questions. "I don't eat humans." 

"So cats and children don't disappear when you're around?"

"No." The monster almost sounded offended.

Barbara sighed. It was a bad idea, but the only one she has. "I'm taking you to my house. I can patch you up there and tomorrow I'll take you back to wherever it is you're from."

He stared at her in silence for a long moment. "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

"That's right I don't, but I need to go to sleep and there's no way I'm getting that if I keep thinking about you bleeding out in the middle of nowhere. Now, am I dragging you to the car or are you going to cooperate?"

"Do I have a choice?"

Barbara heaved him up and into the car. The first few minutes of the ride was awkwardly quiet. "Sooo, I'm Barbara. What should I call you?"

He stared out the window in the backseat. "...Lander."

"That's not your name at all, is it?"

"It's all you're getting," Lander said.

"What happened to you?" Barbara asked. "Looks like you got hit by a boulder."

Lander barked a sharp laugh sending chills down her spine. "An apt way of putting it."

“Are you going to tell me anything?”

“It’s safer that way.”

“It’s more frustrating that way,” Barbara grumbled under her breath.

BAH THEY ENDED UP AT THE HOUSE!

Barbara took a deep breath once she pulled up to the driveway. “Okay, we can do this. Just quietly sneak into the house. Myson’s asleep so he shouldn’t notice anything.”

“You’re not alone?!” Lander snarled. “And you expect me to go in there?!”

“He’s asleep, it’s a school night.”

“Ah yes, because kids always go to bed when they're supposed to.” Despite his rough growl of a voice, Barbara could still hear the sarcasm dripping from Lander’s voice. “Does he have a babysitter we should worry about?”

Barbara glared at him. “Jim’s a good kid. And he’s 14, he takes care of himself.” And me, she mentally added. “We’ll slip in, I’ll patch you up, and then…” 

“You have no clue what happens next,” Lander stated.

“Do you?”

“I slink out of your life and you convince yourself that this is a weird dream.”

“And what happens to you?”

“...I slink out of your life and you convince yourself that this is a weird dream.”

Barbara turned around in her seat. “I am your doctor, I’m not letting you ‘slink out’ 

He huffed something under his breath, but she didn’t catch what it was. 

Lander leaned her as they awkwardly shuffle-hopped into the house like an odd three legged race entry. Barbara closed the door quietly as possible behind them.

“Mom?” Jim called out. It was nearly 3 AM why in the world was he still awake? Lander let out a hiss of annoyance pain as Jim pounded down the stairs.

Barbara froze. There was no way she could possible hide Lander in such little time. He shifted next to her and his hard, stone like qualities softened.

“Who is that?” Jim asked still in his day clothes. He did sound not nearly as freaked out by Lander’s appearance as Barbara had expected him to be. She glanced over at Lander and nearly dropped him.

Instead of the green horned creature she had inspected early, now stood a tall, greying, and she had to admit it, handsome man. “Walter Strickler. Though I suppose that would be Mr. Strickler to you.” He had a smooth British accent that a girl could get used to.

“Oh, world history right? At the high school,” Jim said. He sounded suspicious, but he couldn’t prove anything. 

“That’s correct. I suspect that I’ll be having you in my class next year,” Land-no, ‘Mr. Strickler’ said. “Your lovely mother has told me nothing but wonderful things about you.”

“What are you doing here?”

‘Mr. Strickler’ gave a weak smile. “I was doing some research in the forest and I’m afraid I took a bad tumble. Fortunately your mother had given me her number at the last PTA meeting otherwise I’d be still out by the middle of the road.”

Jim’s judgemental glare did not ease. “And why’s he not at the hospital?”

“A fount of questions, I see,” ‘Mr. Stickler’ said. “Teacher’s insurance is nothing to be jealous of.”

Barbara could feel him shake from she wasn’t sure what, but she really needed to get working on him. “And speaking of questions, why aren’t you in bed?”

“You’re nearly hour late,” Jim whined. “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m fine sweetie, go to bed. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Jim huffed out a sigh and stomped back up the stairs.

‘Mr. Strickler’ heaved out a sigh and Lander was back clearly exhausted from exertion. 

“How did you do that?” Barbara asked leading him to the couch.

“That’s nothing for you to worry about.” He lied down on the couch with a groan. 

Barbara shook her head down at him. “I’m a mother. I’m going to worry about everything. Now, don’t you dare move until I get back.” She had no clue how to treat a whatever Lander was, but that wasn’t going to stop her from trying. Fortunately, Barbara kept a full supply of first aid kits and everything else a doctor would need to keep a boy and his best friend from accidentally losing a limb. 

“Here,” Barbara said tossing Lander an ice pack when she came back. He looked at it confused for a moment. “For your ribs.”

He gingerly set it on his bruise and winced. “Thank you. You don’t have to do this, you know.”

“I know. Just call me a sucker for a damsel in distress,” Barbara said. 

Lander glowered at her.

“Save that for after I have set you leg.” 

The leg in question had swollen since she first saw it. “Really wish we could get this xrayed. But there’s no helping this.” Barbara passed Lander a clean rolled up sock. “Bite into this.”

“A snack?”

“You eat socks?”

Lander sniffed offended. “I don’t eat snacks. My colleagues on the other hand…”

“Who are your colleagues?” she asked. “And the sock’s to keep you from screaming.”

“Pray you never meet them,” Lander said darkly. “And I won’t scream.” He bit into the sock anyways and gripped the couch cushions with his claws.

“Did one of your colleagues…” She gestured at his injuries.

Lander just looked away giving her all the answer she needed.

“It’s a little twisted, so I’m going to have to put it back in place. And it’s going to hurt,” Barbara said.

“Get it over with then.”

In one quick move, she put the bone back in place and began wrapping it to a splint. To his credit, Lander didn’t scream out though he did manage to eat the sock and pass out. Barbara sighed and finished up his leg. Finally she cleaned the blood off his face and bandaged it what. She looked down at him with a frown. “Just what are you?”


	2. Don't Indulge in Paranoia Before Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey, want a chapter focusing Jim? Here you go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention this in the previous chapter, but I recommend listening to Blitzkid while reading this fic. Unless you don't like punk or horror punk. In which case listen to whatever you want. But I feel that Blitzkid's music fits the feel of this fairly well.

Jim tossed and turned in his bed. Something was off about Mr. Strickler. He knew it. Proving it on the other was a completely different manner. 

He got up from his bed after waiting an hour. The house had been completely quiet long enough for his mom to have fallen asleep by then. Jim grabbed his walkie-talkie and called his best friend and neighbor, Toby. “Tobes, Tobes. Wake up. There is something major going on here.”

“Mzylkiptz?”

“Get up Toby,” Jim whispered. “This is important.”

Toby yawned into the walkie-talkie. “What is it?”

“Mom brought a man home.”

“Woah, your mom’s dating again?”

“What? No not like that. He was all beaten up and stuff. Something’s going on here.”

“Like sleep deprivation making you paranoid?” Toby asked.

Jim glared at the walkie-talkie. “No!” He quickly lowered his voice so that he wouldn’t wake his mom. “No. He said he met Mom at a PTA meeting. Mom’s never been to a PTA meeting in her life. There’s something not right here, I know it.”

“Relax, Jimbo. Your mom probably has a boyfriend that she’s not ready to tell you about yet. Go to bed and have a conniption when the sun’s out,” Toby suggested.

“I’m not having a conniption. He was practically black and blue how would you explain that?”

“Your mom was probably too rough?”

“Tobes!” Jim whisper-yelled. He was this close to strangling his friend through the walkie-talkie. “I’m serious.”

“I am too. Go to bed. It’ll probably make sense when you wake up.” Through the window Jim could see Toby going back to bed.

Jim silently fumed as he crept downstairs. There was something more to this Mr. Strickler. The only question was what.

His blood froze, when he saw what was on the couch. Where the teacher should have been was a green creature fitfully sleeping on the couch. It came right out of a cheesy horror film with claws, horns and a what looked like a cape. 

Jim dashed back up the stairs as fast as he could. “Code Red, Tobes! CODE RED!”

”What does code red even mean?” Toby asked.

“Emergency! There is some kind of monster down stairs!”

“Woah, what kind of monster?” Toby asked voice full of curiosity.

“Tobes focus! My mom brought some kind of thing into our house and who knows what it will do to her?”

Sound of Toby getting ready came over the walkie-talkie. “Alright, alright. Relax, I’m coming over.”

“No! We have no clue what that thing is capable of! I’m going to stake it out one more time.”

“Be careful,” Toby said.

Jim grab his baseball. “When am I not?” He crept back down the stairs only to find the couch completely empty except for a rumpled up blanket. He dashed back to the walkie-talkie. “He’s gone!”

“Or he wasn’t there in the first place,” Toby said. “Jimbo, maybe you should just go to bed.”

“I know what I saw. I’m not crazy.” Jim grabbed a flashlight and his shoes. “I’m going to prove it.”

“Woah, Jimbo what are you up to?”

“I’m going to find him and stop him from whatever it is he’s doing.”

Toby sighed heavily. “Alright, but I’m coming too. There’s no way I’m letting you do this alone.”

“Thanks Tobes.”

“You can thank me by making your meatloaf.”

***************************************

Toby was waiting outside with his bike.

“Thanks for believing me,” Jim said.

“I don’t, but that won’t stop me from a monster hunt.”

Jim rolled his eyes. “Gee, thanks.”

“You’re welcome. So, where is this monster hunt taking us?” Toby asked.

“Where else would monster be? The woods.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so this isn't as shippy and stuff or even as focused on Barbara and Stricklander as I thought this fic would be. Jim's paranoia kind of took over and his plot stuff will be in the fore front for another chapter or so. I should warn I only slightly know where this fic is going.


	3. Stop Meeting Your People's Mortal Enemies in the Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who wants to read about Draal, his terrible love life, and all of his daddy issues?

It was quiet and still in the forest. Draal hated it. He lived for shouting and clanging and the sounds of a good fight. Quiet was for his father’s weird friends.

“I’m surprised you actually showed up again.” His heart sped up. Nomura. She was in her troll form all dangerous and sleek. 

“I never back down from a challenge,” Draal said.

She laughed and brushed a hand on his arm. He hated it when most troll women did that to him, but he found himself craving her light touches. “A challenge am I? It’s almost like you think you can beat me.”

“I can take on anyone!”

Nomura rolled her eyes. “And again with that broken record. Can you hang up the whole bloodthirsty warrior schtick for once? Just relax and have fun.” She caressed his chest for too short of a moment and pulled back with a smirk. 

He tried to say say something, but his mouth was too dry to speak. 

Still smirking at him, Nomura drew one of her sickle-swords made Draal’s heart beat faster. “Shall we begin?”

The sharp snap of a twig breaking sounded behind them. Nomura shifted to her human form reflexive and ran off. Draal glared at where the came from. He stalked over to it when a louder sound came from behind him. The summoning of a magical sword. His father.

Normally, Draal would welcome the opportunity to be with his father, but there was no good explanation for why he was out in the woods. So, like a coward, Draal ducked into the bushes only to find himself face to face with a pair of human whelps. The short, fat one drew a breath to scream, but the skinny one covered his friend’s mouth. “I told you there was something going on,” he hissed. Draal quickly covered this one’s mouth too.

Loud steps came towards them. “Father,” Draal said despite himself. The short whelp covered the troll’s mouth. 

They were all motionless for a long, uncomfortable moment until Kanjigar’s footsteps completely faded away.

LOOK THIS SCENE HAS BEEN TAKING FOREVER TO WRITE. AND WAIT A SECOND MY LAPTOP DOESN’T EVEN HAVE A CAPSLOCK BUTTON< WHAT CENTURY IS THIS?! ANYWAYS KANJIGAR LEFT AND THE IDIOT BOYS ARE GOING TO BE TALKING NOW!

“Holy crap,” the fat one whispered. “You were right Jimbo.”

“Told you so,” the thin whelp whispered back. "Can all of you turn into humans? Why haven't you?"

Draal went back in disgust. "Only impure can do that. And why are you even here?"

"My mom brought home one of those monsters. I have to find him and stop him before he hurts her," the thin one explained.

"There's more?" Draal knew about Nomura, but he also knew better than to ask about the other changelings. There was an unspoken truce when it came to both of their people and their war. 

The thin one nodded. "He was green like an avocado."

"What's an avocado?"

"Not important. What's important is that we have to find whatever he is and stop him." He started to go ahead, but Draal stopped him.

"That is the Trollhunters business. We'd only get in the way." Draal fought down the bitterness that was filling his throat with that sentence. His father was unstoppable and would only tell Draal for the hundredth time to just stay behind.

The thin one gave it some thought. "So he's a troll."

"No, what you saw was a changeling,"Draal said. "I'm a troll. Those things are impure."

"Then why were you trying to makeout with one?" the short fat whelp asked.

"Makeout?"

The short rolled his eyes. "You know, kissing, first base." He shook his head at Draal's blank expression. "Haven't you trolls heard of dating? Romance?"

Draal pulled a face at that. "Romance is a waste of time."

"You sure didn't think so five minutes ago."

"This is going nowhere," the thin one said. "If we had followed her, she might have led us to Strickler."

"She would have lost you in a minute," Draal said with a hint of pride.

“Do you know where the changelings are?” the thin one asked.

Draal shook his head. “Changelings aren’t even supposed to be here. They’re a threat to troll and humankind.”

“Like the Trollhunter?” the short one asked. “Or is that just to trolls?”

“The Trollhunter is the greatest warrior and hero known to trolls!” Draal snarled no longer caring about his volume. “My father hunts the evil trolls and keeps us all safe! And don’t you dare sully his good name ever again!!”

The short held up his hands. “Woah, woah. We know nothing about nothing. Step back on the daddy issues.”

“You said that changelings was the Trollhunters business,” the thin one said, “so what you’re saying is we need to tell your father about them.”

Drall snorted. “Like he’d believe a couple of humans.”

“No, probably not, but he’d believe you right?”

Draal wanted to believe that his father would believe him. That his father would be proud of Draal for discovering some evil scheme and would let him put a stop to it. But his father was more distant than Ojo del Salado. For how much Draal adored him, the Trollhunter was hard for him to read. The best Draal could hope for was for his father to thank him for the warning. But even that small gratitude would be priceless. “Fine, but you two will remain hidden until I explain everything to him.”

“You’ll do it? You’re letting us come?” The thin one nearly fibrated with excitement.

“On one condition. Both of you remain silent.”

The thin one nodded. “Got it.”

“Yeah got it,” the short one agreed. “Oh this is going to be awesome. Are you actually made out of stone? Where do you live? Is it far from here?”

Draal was quickly regretting every decision he made that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huh, I actually updated this fic. I was actually starting to think I never would. It had been sitting around half-finished for months and I just had the urge to finish it today.
> 
> I don't know if I'll write more or when, but I hope you all enjoy this chapter.


	4. Don’t Push Away Your Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, it’s Kanjigar’s terrible parenting skills. Let’s all yell at him internally and wish that he’d finally act like a good dad to his son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy Crap! Another Chapter! Though to be fair this is more of a half a chapter that needed to be posted on its own. I swear the next chapter will focus of Strickler and Barbara. And I'm pretty certain I will write and post it (no clue on when, but it will probably happen).

Kanjigar sighed with relief when he finally got back to Trollmarket. For nothing exciting happening, the night had dragged on for far too long. All he wanted was to cool down at the Heroes’ Forge and then go home and sleep. Draal was already waiting for him at the Forge.

It wasn’t that Kanjigar was disappointed to see his son (well maybe the small part of him that only wanted sleep, but that part was a traitor and not to be trusted), bt Kanjigar had hope that Draal would stop trying to follow his footsteps and rush into danger. 

“Father,” Draal said barely even waiting for Kanjigar to approach him, “There is something important that I must discuss with you.”

“And that is?” 

Draal took a deep breath like he was gathering his nerve. “Changelings.”

“Changelings haven’t been seen in nearly a century,” Kanjigar pointed out. “Have you been talking to Blinky?” He loved his friends, bt Kanjigar would be among the first to point out how odd they could be.

Draal glowered at him. “But I saw one. And there’s another in Arcadia.”

Changelings in Arcadia could only mean trouble, but there was no proof other than Draal’s word and the last thing Kanjigar needed was his son stirring up hysteria in Trollmarket. “And how do you know about the second?”

“I heard some humans discussing it.” Draal stared down at his feet avoiding eye contact. “One saw a man one moment and a troll the next. It could have only been a changeling.”

“Or a human’s eyes playing tricks on it,” Kanjigar said trying to downplay the urgency of it. “The word of a human and what you thought you saw does not mean anything.”

“There’s somethings that I need to show you,” Draal said. “And then you’ll-”

“I have to do nothing except for what is necessary to keep Trollmarket safe. And playing along with your fancies will keep no one safe.” It hurt to say such cruel things to his son, but it was for the sake of keeping Draal safe. The fallen look on Draal’s face though almost made him think otherwise.

“But-”

Kanjigar interrupted his son again. “But nothing. Go home Draal.”

Draal looked at him like the young troll had something to say, but he just growled and turned away rushing off. 

Painful as it was to not rush after his son, Kanjigar stood still hoping that if he didn’t move his heart wouldn’t break. One day, after he was gone, Draal would understand why Kanjigar did what he had done. But, for now the Trollhunter needed to go get a gaggletack and look into this changeling issue.

**Author's Note:**

> I mentioned this AU idea on tumblr and people seemed to want to read it, so here we are. I don't know if I'll write more. I have disjointed ideas for this AU, but I don't know if I can make a full story out of them. I hope you all like this.


End file.
